Life Is Like A Jigsaw Puzzle
by unicorn13564
Summary: Ren has been having these nightmares of Horo in pain for months, but what does it all mean? When Horo goes missing, Ren has to abandon his thoughts of his dreams being meaningless, for the answer to all his problems, is in those dreams, but what is it? Wh
1. Flashes Of Pain And Agony

**Life Is Like A Jigsaw Puzzle**

**Ren x Horo**

**Ren has been having these nightmares of Horo in pain for months, but what does it all mean? When Horo goes missing, Ren has to abandon his thoughts of his dreams being meaningless, for the answer to all his problems, is in those dreams, but what is it? Who is behind Horo's disappearance? I can't think of how to describe this but it's a good story.**

Chapter 1: Flashes Of Pain And Agony

A young Chinese shaman twisted in his bed, as the flash of images, like the many times before, began to haunt him.

_Ren was in yet again in the dark room were the walls were made of stone and cold to the touch._

_He jumped slightly as a figure laid on the floor, wrapping its arms around itself. "Ren… Ren are you there…?" it asked in a sort of pleading tone.. The figures words were soft, yet held the unmistakable hint of fear._

"_Who are you… what do you want…?" asked Ren, but at the back of his mind he knew it was Horo. He recognized the voice, and the silhouette of spiky hair, yet refused to admit it was him who was lying on the floor, that it was him who sounded so weak and scared._

"_G-Get out of here Ren… go, before he gets you…"_

"_Who? Who's going to get me?"_

"_It doesn't matter, you can't beat him, believe me, I've tried. I tried to struggle and break free, but he's just so strong I-"_

_Horo froze, as did Ren as footsteps could be heard._

"_Is that him? Is that who did this to you!"_

"_Ren, you must leave quickly!"_

_Another door, one Ren had been oblivious too, swung open, and another figure entered the room._

"_Run Ren! I'll try and hold him off while you- augh! No, stop! Please, no more!"_

_The Tao stood there; watching as the tall, long-haired figure whipped the Ainu, ignorant to his pleads and cries of agony. "No, stop! STOP!"_

_--_

Ren jolted up right, Horo's cries still echoing in his mind.

"…Horo…" he whispered, not even attempting to wipe the sweat off his forehead.

Ren sighed. He hadn't had that dream in a long time. Usually it would be about Horo screaming, yelling at him to go, but it would very rarely get so far as to Horo actually being beaten.

"Stupid dreams…" he muttered, yet began to wonder. It was odd how not once whilst he was having these dreams, did he ever get to see the Ainu's tormenter. Not once.

The Tao kicked off the covered and got out of bed, exiting his room and slowly walking down the corridor.

'…_He's ok, as always…'_ he thought solemnly, as he peered into the room of the sleeping Ainu. _'I don't understand why I check up on him every night anyway, its just a stupid dream, a phase I'm going through… a 'vortex in my sleeping pattern', if you will… nothing to be concerned about.'_

Ren sighed and after arguing with himself, decided to take a midnight shower.

The purple-haired boy stepped beneath the shower-head and turned the tap, letting the warm water turn hot and drip down his body.

"_Run Ren! I'll try and hold him off while you- augh! No, stop! Please, no more!"_

The young shaman crouched down and curled up into a ball, securing his body with his arms.

'_The tall, long-haired figure whipped the Ainu, ignorant to his pleads and cries of agony.'_

He put his hands on his head, as if it would somehow erase the heart-breaking images.

"…Stop…" he murmured, "Please… just stop… go away…" He shook his head slightly as he began to cry. "Just… stop…"

'_The tall, long-haired figure whipped the Ainu…'_

"JUST STOP!"

Ren punched the wall as hard as he could, then again, then for a third time. He slowly removed his fist from the wall, leaving a print of blood behind. The Tao sighed and closed his eyes, drifting off into a world of darkness.

**Unicorn13564: …I know what you're all thinking… but I too do not know how someone could fall asleep in a shower! XD Lol. Anyway, what do ya think? Review!**


	2. Let Me In

**Unicorn13564: Umm, in the first chapter they were at Yoh's place and in the dream they were… well in a room with stone walls n cold to the touch.**

Chapter 2: Let Me In

The figure sat and watched silently as the Tao stirred in his sleep.

'_What's wrong with you? …Why were you unconscious in the shower? But what's even more confusing is you checking up on me every night…'_

"No…"

The Ainu studied Ren's face; it was scrunched up as if there were a foul smell.

"No… don't, please, don't hurt him anymore…"

"_No, don't! Please, don't hurt him anymore!" screamed Ren, but his screams were not enough to block the sounds of an Ainu in pain as the cries flooded every corner of the room. "No! Don't do it!"_

_Ren tried to run to his rescue, but for some reason, something he could not see binded him to the place he was stood in. He helplessly watched as Horo's tormenter whipped him countless times, each time, Horo assuring Ren that it was for the best, for this way, Ren could go without punishment. Yet the cries Horo made told Ren a different story, told him that Horo was in pain and was most likely going to die if he didn't do something._

"_Horo!"_

Ren's eyes burst open, "…Horo…" he whispered, and gripped the covers. "…Horo you idiot… why must you do that, every single time…"

Tears began to fall onto the sheets as little sounds escaped his mouth.

"Hey, don't cry…" Ren's eyes widened as he felt a hand being placed on his shoulder. "I'm sure whatever it is that's bothering you will work out."

"…Horo… how long have you been watching me…?"

"Well I woke up during the night and needed the toilet and imagine my surprise, I found you lying unconscious in the shower in stead."

"…Then… you put me in my bed…?"

"Yeah, don't worry, I didn't look."

Even though Ren wasn't facing him, he knew he was smiling.

"…But I'm… I'm wearing boxers…"

"Do ya have to make it even more awkward?" Horo sighed, and blushed slightly.

"Sorry." he apologized.

There was an awkward silence between the two, when Horo decided he'd leave it up to Ren to tell him what he was dreaming about.

The Ainu stood and walked towards the door. "If you ever want someone to talk too, you know were I am."

"…Horo, wait!" said Ren, and watched as he entered the room once more.

"Yeah?"

"…I… I keep having nightmares…"

Horo was slightly shocked that Ren had confessed to him so easily, and he could tell Ren was embarrassed.

"…_Nightmares_…?" he asked, "What kind of nightmares?"

"Oh, the usual kind." Said Ren sarcastically.

"Um, ok, let me re-phrase that… what were the nightmares _about?_"

Ren once again fell silent. His eyes glaring down at the covers as his mind recalled the dreams that haunted him.

"_No, don't! Please, don't hurt him anymore!"_

The tears returned to his eyes and started to fall again, dotting the covers as his body began to shake.

"Hey," said Horo softly, coming to his side, "Its ok Ren, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to…"

Horo wrapped his arms around the shaking body and pulled it closer. "Sshh, its ok Ren, you go back to sleep."

"No, I don't want to go back to sleep! They wait till I'm asleep then haunt me!"

"What does?"

"The dreams damn it! Weren't you listening!"

The Ainu laid Ren back down onto his bed, "Go to sleep Ren, it'll be ok, I'm only in the next room if you need me."

"No!" yelled Ren, and grabbed onto Horo's arm as he got up to leave. "I don't want to be alone!"

Horo's eyes saddened. _'How did you get like this Ren? I've never seen you so scared…'_

The blue-haired shaman sat back down, "Ok… ok Ren, I'll stay here, but you _have_ to go to sleep! Don't worry about anything… I'll watch over you…"

The Tao slowly released Horo's arm, and before long, drifted off to sleep.

'_What happened to you Ren? Why are you so scared? What are you so scared of that you'd turn to me for comfort? And why do you check up on me every night? It bugs the shit out of me.'_

Horo sighed as he looked down on the sleeping Tao._ 'So many questions… so many questions that you'll never answer… Why did you say my name when you woke up Ren? Am I the reason you keep having nightmares…? Is that why you check up on me every night? Because you're scared I won't be there or something…?'_

The Ainu yawned as his eyelids began to get heavy, and moments later, he too drifted off to sleep.

**Unicorn13564: Awwwww, bless them both! XP**


	3. Disappearance

**Unicorn13564: Hi people, guess I should have mentioned this before, but some characters may be OOC. (Out of character)**

Chapter 3: Disappearance

As light flooded the room, Ren's eyes opened.

'_Good…'_ he thought, _'its morning…'_

Ren turned towards the Ainu, only to realize that he was gone. He couldn't really blame him though; he wouldn't have stayed the entire night if it were Horo who'd been having the nightmares.

Ren, even though he was still tired, decided to get up.

'_Anything's better than going back to sleep.'_

As the Tao got out of bed and stood up, the floor quickly moved beneath him.

"_Augh_…" said a voice as Ren fell back onto the mattress, "Ren what the fuck you playing at!"

The Tao blinked a few times before responding. "…_Horo_…?"

"Yello!" said the voice, and an arm waved at him from the floor.

"What the _hell_ are you doing down there!"

"Sleeping… or at least I _was_ until _someone_ decided to stand on me!"

Ren sighed and stepped over him. "Whatever." He muttered, and left Horo alone in the bedroom.

'_I saw you Ren, I saw you in your sleep again. All this nightmare stuff has something to do with me… I know it does…'_

Horo broke out of his thoughts when Ren entered the bedroom again. "Get out." He ordered.

"Finally realized you were in nothing but ya boxers?" asked Horo, a big smirk on his face.

"I said _out!_"

"Thought so." He muttered still smiling, and left the room.

A few minutes later, Ren entered the living-room fully clothed to find Horo, Yoh and Manta sitting watching the TV.

"Anna out?" asked Ren, raising an eyebrow.

"Yup!" smiled Manta cheerfully.

Ren sighed and walked into the kitchen. He opened the fridge and poured himself a glass of milk.

"You ok Ren?" asked Horo, coming up behind him.

"Yes, why shouldn't I be?"

"No reason, dude, I'm going out for a walk in a sec if ya wonna come."

"No, I'm perfectly fine here."

"Suit yaself." He shrugged, and headed for the door.

"Horo…" called Ren, "When you get back, I need to talk to you…"

"Sure!" he smiled, and exited the Asakura residence.

'_I'll tell you everything Horo, and I mean everything…'_

Horo walked down the street, enjoying the fresh air and cool breeze.

'_Man this feels good!'_ he thought blissfully, and stretched his arms as he felt the warm sun on his face.

The Ainu wondered around the familiar streets, going nowhere in particular, when a cold breeze, much colder than usual, swept over him, making him quiver.

'_Huh… that was freaky…' _he thought to himself, and continued his walk.

After about ten minutes, he began to feel as if he were being stalked, for a lone figure in a hooded long brown cloak, had been tailing him for quite some time.

A smirk was placed on his face as he got the sudden thrill of excitement.

'_Ok Mr Stalker dude, if you wonna stalk me, you have to keep up with me.'_

With that, the Ainu broke out into a run, dodging the people that got in his path.

As the blue-haired shaman turned to go down another street, an arm came out of nowhere, and because of the speed he was running, the Ainu ran straight into it, the arm colliding with his neck, causing him to fall and gasp for air.

"You shouldn't try to outrun me…"

Horo looked up, immediately noticing that it was the same person who was stalking him.

"W-Who the hell are you anyway!" shouted Horo, his hand placed on his now sore throat.

"Horokeu, I've come for you, and you shall not escape me this time."

"But-_augh!_"

Horo cried out in pain as something hard struck his head, and he fell to the floor.

As the darkness surrounded him, he managed to utter one word as he felt himself being heaved over the stalkers shoulder. "…_Ren_…"

**Unicorn13564: Oh my god! Horo! Damn you evil person! May you rot in hell for hurting my beloved Horokeu! TT**


	4. Where Are You When I Need You?

**Unicorn13564: People, this message is very important. If when I say either _'A shoulder to cry on'_, _'Obsession'_ or _'Immortals'_ and you have no idea what the fuck I'm talking about, then like I say to my friends _(yes, I have friends, miracle isn't it)_, ahem- then like I said to my friends, you are _very very_ sad people! Read the trilogy by _Nirah_, all yaoi, all ace, all fuckin fantastic! I very _highly_ recommend them as I think they are the best stories on I seriously do! There fuckin brilliant! _SERIOUSLY!_ And if you have red all of them, then yay! Ace aren't they! I don't think you will find a single person in the _world _who has red them and thinks they are stupid, shit, crap, boring etc. But will think they are ace, brilliant, action-packed, yaoi- and if it's got yaoi in it's gonna be good anyway! XP PLZ READ THEM! …That is all… **

Chapter 4: Where Are You When I Need You?

The angered Tao frowned as he sat on the porch of the Asakura residence.

'_Where the hell are you Usui?' _he thought bitterly, _'You've been gone for almost an hour!'_

"…You're not very patient are you?" said Manta, coming to his side.

"Hmph." muttered Ren, and continued to keep an eye out for Horo.

"Relax, I'm sure he's just goofing around, besides, it's only been an hour."

"Hour or not, I need to talk to that Ainu baka about something _very_ important."

"Really, like what?" Manta asked, slightly interested.

"About how to kill a short person without getting caught."

"Ok, ok." Laughed Manta nervously, "I'll mind my own business."

"Indeed you shall."

With that, Manta walked away, leaving the Tao to sit on his own.

'_Damn it Horo, where are you when I need you!'_

Ren sighed. He'd lost all track of time, but he knew he'd been sitting on the porch for well over two hours.

"Wow, Horo's not back yet!" asked Yoh, carrying what looked to be a heavy box.

"Yes, I'm just sitting out here because I want to look at the sights." Replied Ren flatly.

"Well in that case you can help Yoh with these boxes." Said a female voice.

'_When the hell did she get back? I didn't even see her come in…'_

When Ren didn't move nor reply, Anna got mad.

"MOVE!" she screamed, and kicked Ren, making him fall of the porch and face first in the dirt.

'_Damn her and her abnormal strength!' _he cursed, then rose to his feet and brushed himself down.

"I'm going to look for Horo." He stated, and began to walk out of the Asakura residence.

"YEAH, AND YOU'D BETTER NOT COME BACK TILL YOU FIND HIM!" she yelled.

Ren flinched as Anna's red sandal collided with his head, and he quickly walked out into the streets.

The purple-haired Tao walked silently down the streets, his eyes scanning his surroundings, looking for any signs of Horo. How hard could it be to find a blue-haired Ainu anyway? But the answer to that; was _very _hard.

After three long hours of pounding the pavement in search for the Ainu, Ren decided to make his way back home to see if he'd shown up there yet.

As he walked down the streets, something caught his eye, something he couldn't ignore, no matter how much he tried. Because there, on the cement before him; was a small line of crimson red.

Ren blinked a few times to make sure he wasn't seeing things. _'…Don't… don't be stupid Ren, you baka, its not… it's not Horo's blood! Horo is safe somewhere… it's not Horo's blood, look, I'll prove it to you, its dry see?'_

Ren bent down and stuck his index finger in the sticky substance.

'_Ok, so it's wet, who gives a fuck? It's probably from some kid with a bloody nose. Besides, even if it was Horo's blood, which it's not, it would have dried up by now… wouldn't it…?'_

Ren rose up and started to run back to Yoh's place.

'_Horo you ass, you'd better fuckin be there! I'm freakin' out because of you!'_

Yoh and Manta dropped the table they were carrying as Ren burst through the door panting heavily.

"…Ren… what's up…?" asked Yoh, picking up his end of the table again.

"Horo… is he…" Ren stopped and looked at Manta and Yoh.

"Oh," sighed Manta, "Anna wanted a change of furniture."

"…Whatever, have either of you seen Horo? Is he here?"

Anna then entered the room, a concerned expression placed on her face. "…Sorry Ren… he hasn't been here all day…"

Ren's eyes widened. "Shit… that means… Horo's missing…"

**A/N: Bless… oh, don't worry peeps, I was gonna stop it here but I thought… naaah… I'll let you all have a treat coz you're such nice people! …You are nice people aren't you! If your not, shame on you! Lol. …ok, I'll stop being an idiot now XP**

As Horo began to slip back into the real world, he found that his head was throbbing with pain.

"W…What happened…?" he asked aloud.

As he opened his eyes, he saw nothing, for the room he woke up to was pitch-black. No windows, and as far as he could tell, no doors. There was no ray of light what so ever, just total darkness.

As the Ainu moved his arm, he heard the rattle of a chain.

"What?"

It was then that he sat up, and noticed something was cuffed around his wrist. "What!" he said again in disbelief as he felt along the chain that was attached to the wall. "Hey, help! Someone help!" He held his head as the pain became unbearable, and quickly realized he was bleeding.

His heart raced as a door opened, and a small amount of light flooded a fraction of the room.

Horo looked around, only to realize that it wasn't a room, but a dungeon, and that a door was at the top of a long line of stairs.

"W-Who are you?" Horo asked, his voice showing vast amounts of fear.

"Forgotten already?"

Horo's head pounded, but his memory flashed with images.

"_Horokeu, I've come for you, and you shall not escape me this time."_

"_But-augh!"_

_Horo cried out in pain as something hard struck his head; and he fell to the floor._

His eyes widened with fear. "…You… you hit me with something… you were after me, _stalking_ me… but _why?_"

Even though it was pitch-black, Horo could tell the figurer was smirking.

"Why? _Why!_ Because I have _big_ plans for you Horokeu, which involve both _me_, and _you_."

"Forget it you _psycho_, I'm not having _any _part of your plans! Hell, I don't even know what your plans _are_, but still, I won't be _any_ part in it! So stay the _fuck_ away from me!"

The figure sniggered a little; then started to laugh.

"Do you _really_ think you have a _choice!_ You're as good as _mine_ Usui!"

"No, I'm not yours!"

Little cries of pain escaped Horo's mouth as the figure began to kick him.

"I _said_ you're as good as mine! _You_ belong to _me_ now!" The figure grabbed a handful of Horo's hair and held him up. "You'd do well to remember that." He spat, and released his victim, letting him drop to the floor.

As the door closed, leaving the Ainu once again in total darkness, he began to cry softly to himself.

"…_Ren_… where are you when I need you?"

Ren sat silently, waiting for something, someone, to return.

As a door slid open behind him, he saw Yoh come out onto the porch.

"_Ren_…"

No reply.

"Ren come on, it's gone _one _inthe morning_."_

"What are you, my fuckin _mother!_" he hissed.

"Ren I _know_ you're worried about Horo, but he'll be ok, you've been searching for him all day, you need to _sleep._"

"No, I'm not moving! I'm not going to sleep knowing my friend is out there! He could be lying in a ditch for all I know! Or… or…"

Yoh was surprised when tears began to roll down Ren's cheeks, dripping onto the wood of the porch.

"…Ren, its ok…" said Yoh softly, and put his arm round the crying Tao.

"Get the _fuck_ off of me!" he yelled, and pushed his arm away.

Yoh sighed and told him that he should get some sleep, then walked back inside, closing the door behind him.

"What do _you_ know anyway Yoh…" he muttered, tears still running down his face. "You can't_ possibly_ know how I feel… you don't _see_ the things that I see…"

As much as he tried to stay awake, as much as he wanted to watch out for Horo, sleep eventually overwhelmed him.

_Horo lay on the stone cold floor on the other side of the room, but for some reason, this time Horo didn't talk to him, Ren didn't even think he could see him. The Tao found it strange as to why, from Horo's point of view, everything was pitch-black, but from were Ren was standing, there was a slight glow that surrounded Horo, allowing Ren to see what was going on._

_Ren saw Horo move, and within a few seconds, he woke up. He suddenly realized he was chained to the wall and started to panic. Ren tried to tell the Ainu that it was ok, but he knew he couldn't hear him._

_Suddenly the door opened, and in walked the figure. Horo's abductor told him that Horo was his and his alone. That he was going to be in some sort of plan, and when Horo refused to be any part of it, the figure kicked him, telling him he didn't have a choice._

"_You bastard!" yelled Ren, "Horo doesn't belong to you! He doesn't belong to anyone!"_

_Ren glared as the figure left, leaving the Ainu to cry. But what the shaman said then; was enough to make Ren want to shoot himself._

"…_Ren… where are you when I need you?" he whispered, his voice shaking from the little sobs._

_Ren stood there for a while, waiting for his dream to end, waiting for it all to be over… but for some reason, he didn't wake up… no… he stayed there, standing in the cold dungeon._

_He watched as the Ainu yanked on the chains, and made small cuts around his wrist._

_Horo was cold, alone and terrified._

_The door burst open once more, and in walked the figure, once again using the darkness as a cloak to shield itself from Ren's view._

"_Hello Horo, I'm back."_

_Horo didn't even bother to look up._

_The Ainu cried out in pain as a leather whip slashed his skin across his back. Once. Twice. Three times._

"_No! Stop!" he begged._

"_Stop? Why the hell should I stop! This is how I break you, crush your will and make it mine."_

_The whip came down countless times._

"_Please! Stop it! Anna stop!"_

**Unicorn13564: _Anna!_ What the fuck has my twisted little mind done now! oO**


	5. Target Locked

**Unicorn13564: …Ok, because you all keep goin 'Anna, wtf! How can that be Anna?' and haven't noticed something yet, I decided to update again coz your all goin fuckin crazy! XP Lol.**

Chapter 5: Target Locked

Ren sat up quickly, his eyes wide and his breathing uneasy. As he slipped back into reality, he became aware of the voices around him.

"Anna _stop!_"

"Don't worry _Yoh_; you'll get these back _right_ after you've finished moving the rest of _my_ furniture."

"No! Please Anna! I _need_ my headphones! I'll never _survive!_"

Ren turned to see Anna clutching Yoh's headphones, and Yoh down on his knees, begging to have them back, whilst Manta was stood there awkwardly, watching all the drama between Yoh and his headphones.

Anger began to rise up inside the Tao as he continued to watch. He could have heard the name of Horo's tormenter, could have found out who was torturing him so; but no… Yoh had to yell out Anna's name so that it subconsciously appeared in his dream.

"You _dolts!_" he yelled, getting to his feet and clutching his hands into tight fists. "I could have put an end to _everything!_ I could have found out Horo's _tormentor!_"

Everyone was surprised at Ren's sudden outburst, but was even more surprised at what he said.

"…_What_…?" asked Manta dimly.

The Chinese shaman glared at Manta, "Nothi-"

Ren stumbled back slightly as Anna's left hand collided with his cheek.

"What the fuck!" he yelled, instinctively putting a hand on his throbbing cheek. He looked at Anna, a dark glow reflecting off her body, and a look on her face that could only make Ren mutter one sentence. "…Holy fuck, I'm gonna die…"

"HOW _DARE _YOU RAISE YOUR VOICE AT ME!"

Ren back away, ready to make a break for it.

"NO ONE _EVER_ RAISES THEIR VOICE AT ME!"

"I-I-I" he stuttered.

"GET OUT OF MY HOUSE! DON'T YOU _DARE_ COME BACK UNTIL I SEND _YOH_ TO COME GET YOU!"

Ren legged it; running for his dear life, for standing up to Anna would mean the end of his very existence.

A certain shaman wondered down the streets once more, thinking of were Horo could possibly be. Thinking of everything, yet coming up with nothing, and with the nightmare haunting him… it was very hard for one to focus on what was ahead of them.

Ren's mind began to falter as he thought about the gruesome images that formed in his mind of Horo's body being found in a ditch somewhere.

He was lost so deep in his thoughts that he didn't realize he had wondered out into a main road, and he didn't realize the car that was coming right at him.

Ren snapped out of his thoughts, just as the car collided with his body.

A woman screamed as she saw the young teens' body fly through the air, and skid a few feet.

"Call an ambulance!" she shrieked, "Somebody call an ambulance!"

The nurses and doctors pushed a young boy on a trolley through double-doors.

"Ok, we've got a young teenager with no identification on him. Unconscious when we arrived at the scene but we managed to wake him, he has a broken rib, badly bruised arm and a gash across his abdomen."

"Quickly, he needs to be taken to theatre immediately!"

'_W-What's going on…?'_

Ren was confused. He could feel great amounts of pain all over his body, and people were muttering something about him going to theatre. He felt something prick him, and a nurse rub his arm.

"It's going to be ok." She said, her voice sounding distant. "Were just going to put you to sleep for a while. Don't worry, everything will be fine."

A doctor was stunned when Ren, given his physical condition, was able to reach up and clutch the nurses' uniform. "…Horo…" he choked, beginning to feel the drug kick in, "…You must… find… Horo…"

The nurse was slightly confused as to who 'Horo' was, and watched as the hand released her clothing, and went limp.

The Ainu sat there, his wrists cut and sore from him pulling on the chains, and his back sliced in places were the whip had struck him.

He looked up as the figure entered the icy dungeon, walking down the steps and looking down at his prisoner.

"I have some news for you Usui."

Horo looked up, wondering what this information could be. He felt a stab of fear as he saw a smirk spread across his face.

"It's about Ren…" he waited for Horo's response, but got none so continued. "The idiot was probably out looking for you, and ended up getting hit by a car. He's in a hospital, his injuries severe."

Horo sat there, looking up at his capture, searching for any signs of him joking, of it all being his way of torturing him, but when he finally realized that it was true, he refused to accept it.

"N-No… you're wrong… _YOU'RE WRONG!"_ Horo yelled, and clutched onto his trousers. "IT'S A _LIE!_"

"No." he replied calmly, and shook him off. "You _know _it isn't."

"I-Is he alright? Is Ren _alive?_ Is he going to be ok! _Tell me!"_

"…No… he _is_ alive… but he's _not_ going to be ok. I can guarantee you that."

"What? No, leave Ren alone! Don't _touch_ him! Don't you _fucki_n touch him!" the young Ainu spat, looking up at him with our hatred in his eyes.

"Yes, like I'm _really_ going to do as you say."

"Why are you _doing _this? I thought Ren was your _friend_, I thought we _all _were!"

"_Friends?_ Were not _friends!_ I'd rather _die _then be friends with that ungrateful, _arrogant_ little weasel!"

"He's not _ungrateful!_"

"Oh but he _is!_ He doesn't appreciate every _moment _and every_ second_ he gets to spend with a certain shaman! He doesn't _care_ about him! Doesn't _comfort_ him when he's down! He gets to spend all the time in the world with him, yet chooses _not_ too! Instead he chooses to _ignore_ him, pretend he doesn't _exist!_ He's so _ungrateful_ because he doesn't see what he has!"

"Which is _what _exactly?"

"_You!_"

With that, he left.

Horo let his tears stain the stone floor as he cried, then started to pound the floor with his fists. "_BASTARD!_ FUCKIN _BASTARD!_ …Bastard…" He fell silent for a second; then began to talk quietly to himself. "Ren… I know you can hear me… I know you can hear what I'm saying in the back of your mind, listen to it because someone _very_ dangerous is coming to hurt you, someone who was once a friend but is now an _enemy._ Please, _don't_ trust him, don't believe a _word _he says… _find_ me Ren, come and _find_ me. Your _Tao Ren_… you can do _anything_…"

**Unicorn13564: What the hell is wrong with you people! Did it not occur to you that it said _'he'_ about the figure? And if it said _'he'_ then how can it be Anna! Man, are you guys observant. -.- (laughs hysterically) XP lol.**


	6. Mission Accomplished

Chapter 6: Mission Accomplished

Ren stirred as he slowly began to wake from the anaesthetic.

'_Ren… I know you can hear me… I know you can hear what I'm saying in the back of your mind, listen to it because someone very dangerous is coming to hurt you, someone who was once a friend but is now an enemy. Please, don't trust him, don't believe a word he says… find me Ren, come and find me. Your Tao Ren… you can do anything…'_

"H…Horo…?"

Ren's eyes opened and closed a couple of times, his vision blurry and unfocused.

As his vision slowly returned to him; he saw a tall figure standing before him, dressed in hooded long brown a cloak.

"W-Who are you?" asked Ren, noticing the weakness in his own voice.

"…No one important…" the figure replied calmly.

"Y-You know were Horo is, don't you… you're the one who keeps hurting him…"

The figure looked down at Ren; then removed a small bottle from his pocket filled with a white power.

"Don't worry, I'll take good care of him… as for you… your time in this world is just about up."

Because of Ren's injuries, he could only sit back and watch helplessly as the figure put the power in his drip.

As the figure was walking away, Ren called out to them.

"He isn't yours you know. You don't own him."

Ren felt weak and tired for some reason, like all his systems were shutting down.

"That's were your wrong Ren, I _do_ own him. And as soon as I dispose of _you_ the better, because as soon as your out of the way, the easier it will be to _crush_ his spirit, and then he will be mine _forever._"

"Why? Why did you betray us Hao, what _good _will this do?"

The figure smiled and removed his hood, letting the long brown hair flow down past his shoulders. "I never _betrayed_ you, because I was never _with_ you in the first place. Horo is _mine_ now… and in just a few seconds; you'll be _removed_ from Horo's life." He smiled a wicked grin, and walked out of Ren's cubical.

Within seconds, Ren felt himself being wrapped in a blanked of darkness, and his eyes slowly closed once more.

A few hours had passed and a nurse slipped into Ren's cubical to monitor his progress.

"Hey, can I get some help in here please!" she yelled, and three or four more doctors and nurses flooded the cubical.

"What's wrong?"

"This boy, he was supposed to wake up from the anaesthetic _hours_ ago, but hasn't."

"That's strange…" said a doctor, examining the boy closely, "but for some odd reason… this boy… he's in a _coma._"

**Unicorn13564: Yet another twist. v.v Sorry people who didn't want it to be Hao, but there were loads of hints and most of you guessed it straight away. When you all said it's Lyserg, I was like 'fuck! Of all the people I had to pick and put to shame in this story, I had to pick Hao! I could have made Lyserg even lower then he already was!' And sorry I said that he was an old friend n whatever, but its coz I've red and written so many stories were he is actually friends with them, I just think in my head that he's friends with them all the time, lol. …Bless Ren, he's so… in a coma…**


	7. Wake Me Up Inside

**Unicorn13564: Good news is I don't have to say _'the figure'_ all the time! Wahoo! XD …Umm… bad news is… well Ren's still in a coma… Anyway, I thought I'd update before you all decided to kill yourselves… ahem…**

Chapter 7: Wake Me Up Inside

It was strange to Ren, because no matter how much he hated falling asleep, when someone was in a coma… all they can do… is _sleep_…

"_Ren…? Ren I know you can hear me… stop ignoring me damn it! Listen, you have to wake up, you have to come out of this coma and help me. I need your help Tao, and I'm not going to stop bugging you till I get it. If you don't help me… well I'd sooner kill myself than be Hao's… toy… and if that's no excuse to take my own life, then here's a better one. I can't stand living in a world if you're not going to be in it. I know about your nightmares Ren, I know that there about me… do you know how I know? Well when you talk in your sleep it's a big help, but also it's because I have the exact same dreams, only about you. Let me guess, I'm in a dungeon chained to the wall, and I keep getting abused and tormented by a strange figure, yet you never get to see who it is that's tormenting me. To be honest, the reason I found you in the shower was because I went to check up on you and you weren't there. I know this is going to sound totally freaky and weird, but I know what the nightmares mean. It doesn't matter about the torturing and suffering, what matters is who it's being done to and what effect it has. After I'd seen you get hurt so many times, each time there being nothing I could do about it, I began to see that it had caused me to develop feelings for you, feelings far beyond friendship. The truth is… I think I'm falling for you Ren."_

_Memories flashed through his mind of his friends._

_Yoh- Hey Ren, what's up buddy?_

_Anna- Get back to work you lazy slacker!_

_Horo- Ren, your so tense all the time, why not relax and just chill for once?_

_Ryu- You know, life is like a jigsaw puzzle. You have to find all the right pieces before to see the full picture._

_  
Manta- Ren, you've trained none stop for the past six weeks, don't you think you should take a break?_

_Lyserg- Hey Ren, lets have a battle ok? I wonna know how strong you've become._

_Choco- Gee Ren, its like you don't have a second to spare, I say you sit back, relax, and hang out with the gang!_

_Faust- Don't pressure yourself, you'll only strain your body._

"_You see Ren," continued Horo, "we all care so much about you. So you cant just give up now, you have to fight, wake up from this coma. I need you Ren, and I need you now… I love you…"_

The blue-haired shaman sat up, awaking from his dream.

"That was strange…" he muttered, "I just dreamed that I was inside Ren's head… talking to him… telling him that I needed him and that… that I loved him… and that Ren… Ren was in a coma. I've never had a dream like that before…"

Horo's ears strained to listen as he could hear footsteps that were getting louder.

"Hey!" he shouted, trying to grab Hao's attention. "Hao!"

The door opened slightly. "What do you want?"

"What did you do to Ren!"

The door opened full and Hao stepped in.

"You know what, now that he's out of the way, I can afford to let a little more light into the room. It's a real pain in the ass, having very little light in here."

He exited and returned a few minutes later with a candle.

Hao walked down the stairs and along the walls, lighting torch by torch, and eventually the hole room was filled with light, allowing the Ainu, for the first time, to see were he was being kept.

His eyes widened as he saw the inhumane creations that surrounded him. But his heart stopped beating as he saw a small motionless figure at the other end of the dungeon that was tied to the wall by chains, and the pool of brownish-red that surrounded his body.

Tears formed in his eyes as he saw his friend laying here, his body nor rising nor falling. "_Yoh!_" he shouted as he stared at the brunette, "Yoh wake up! Wake up please! Yoh!" Horo waited and waited for a reply, a murmur, anything… but that was something he wasn't about to get any time soon. "You _bastard!_" he yelled with hatred, turning to Hao who had a little smirk on his face, "What the _hell_ did you do to him!"

"Well I needed _someone_ to test my torturing devices on, and he was my guinea-pig. I have to say, it was surprising he lasted as long as he did. It will only be a matter of time before his body starts to _rot_ and _decay._"

"But… but Yoh was alive when you abducted me, I would have noticed if you'd brought him in here, I would have seen it! I would have heard his cries!"

"Well you _obviously _didn't. Besides, it's pretty hard to hear someone's cries when their mouth is stitched together, and you were still unconscious at the time. You wouldn't have woken up for _at least_ a few more hours."

"S-So he _suffered_…?"

"Well, sort of. You see, after I'd tested all my creations, there was nothing left to do with him, so I ended his pain and suffering by plunging a knife into his chest. He was very _grateful_; he even thanked me before drawing his last breath."

"…W…Why would you need to test your creations on him? Isn't that what I'm for?"

"You? No my beloved Horokeu."

'_Beloved!'_

"I would _never_ use those _dreadful_ things on you. It would destroy your _perfect_ body. …No… I have something even better in store for you my love…"

'_My love!'_

Hao smiled and left, returning again with a bowl of water and some cotton wool.

"Here." He said, and placed it down on the floor. The Asakura knelt down and grabbed Horo's hand. "This will get infected if you don't bathe it properly."

Horo yanked his hand away and glared at him. "What the_ hell_ are you doing!"

"What? I'm seeing to the cuts around your wrist silly…"

"No, you killed Yoh, and Ren! And now you expect me to _trust_ you again, like nothing's happened! You even _whipped _me and _abused_ me!" yelled the Ainu, his voice breaking slightly.

"Yes, but that was only because I was angry at you."

"You were angry at me so you _killed_ two of my closest friends!"

"No, I _whipped _you because I was angry at you. And I was only _angry_ at you because you preferred that _Tao_ than me. I killed Yoh for a reason in which I just told you, and I haven't even _killed_ Ren."

"R-Ren's _alive_…?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yes, but I put him in a coma, he wont be around for the next three years _minimum_."

Anger and betrayal rose up inside of the Ainu, so much anger that he exploded.

"I HATE YOU!" he yelled, and picked up the bowl of water and threw it in Hao's face, making his clothes and hair stick to his body.

The Asakura moved quickly, and in a heart-beat, had Horo in a headlock and was pressing a blade against his throat.

"_Don't_ make me use this Horo, don't make me _scar_ your perfect little body."

"Go ahead! I don't care! You've taken everything else away from me, why not my _life_ too!"

"You're a very brave Ainu... either that or very _foolish_. If I were to stab you right now, if I were to plunge this knife into your stomach, would you be able to bare the _excruciating_ pain? Would you be able to _withstand_ the blow of death?" Hao smirked as Horo fell silent. "You know, there is _one_ way to escape this place… that is, if you're _really_ willing to make the sacrifice…"

Horo's eyes widened as Hao handed him the knife, then stepped back and placed a key on the floor.

The Ainu struggled to reach it, alas, it was useless. The key was well out of his reach.

'…_Maybe…' _

Horo then started to try and saw the chain with the knife.

"That's no good. The _only_ way you're going to reach the key is if you cut off your hand, then, and _only_ then, will you be able to reach the key and free your other hand. Although I _do_ wish you wouldn't, it will be _very_ painful and I _highly_ think you'd die of blood loss before you'd reach a hospital."

"…Were that far out…?"

"Yes. Your _that_ far out."

Hao laughed at the expression on Horo's face, then left him alone in the dungeon once more.

The Ainu looked across to Yoh's body. _'Oh Yoh… I'll never forgive myself…'_

**Unicorn13564: Wow! Hao took a turn for the worst! He's a fuckin psycho!**


	8. When The Pieces Go Missing

**Unicorn13564: Sorry I haven't updated as often as I usually do, but the internet was down… well it's actually been back for a few days now but I've been lazy… v.v**

Chapter 8: When The Pieces Go Missing

Horo removed his bandanna from his forehead, letting his hair hang over his face. He winced at the stinging and soreness of the cuts around his wrists as he wrapped the bandanna around his most wounded wrist.

'_It's not perfect…_' he thought as he looked down at his attempt at first aid, _'…but I guess it'll have to do…'_

He'd lost all track of time, hadn't slept in about two days, and was extremely tired and hungry.

Horo glanced down at the knife he'd been holding, and then looked across the floor at the key. He studied the room like the many times before, once again observing the cruel creations Hao had somehow made.

His eyes began to water as he spotted droplets of blood that had smeared across one of them; then looked across the room at Yoh.

Horo was so preoccupied on trying to figure a way out of this mess, that he didn't notice the door open and he didn't notice the figure approaching.

He jumped slightly as Hao dropped something in front of him.

"Thought you might be hungry…" he muttered.

Horo could feel his mouth begin to water as he stared at the bowl full of rice before him, along with a cup of what appeared to be tea.

"The teas hot by the way, so don't bother _throwing_ it at me."

Horo scanned the food, searching for anything that could be wrong with it. Any chemicals, any powder; anything at all that could do something to him. He didn't know what the hell he was looking for, but something just told him to be careful.

"Relax; it's not like I'm not going to put you in a _coma_ or anything..."

Horo's head shot up as he glared daggers at the Asakura.

"You think your so damn _clever_ Hao, but your _not._ You're _sad_, think about it. I mean, you _knew_ I'd _reject_ you because you're so fuckin _retarded_; and so you had to kidnap me, put Ren in a coma and kill your own _brother!_ Yet still I don't return your love- you truly are a _sad_ bastard."

Horo's heart-beat increased slightly as he saw the look on Hao's face. He could tell he was trying very hard not to lash out and beat him again. "…Just eat it…" he muttered through gritted teeth, and left the dungeon.

The Ainu looked down at the food. "Oh fuck it, I'll die soon anyway, why not die of _starvation_…?"

Horo blocked out the sound of his stomach grumbling, and reminded himself who had given him the food.

"That bastard put Ren in a coma and killed Yoh, like I really want his blood… _food_."

**A/N: Ya know when people say 'blood money' well this is like that… only blood… food… um, yeah…**

He sighed as his stomach argued with him, telling him food was good, and so was tea.

"For all I know he could have pissed in it, besides, its blood tea! ...Yeah I guess I should stop putting 'blood' in front of everything Hao gives me… damn it, I don't even make sense anymore!"

"So drink the bastard _tea!_" yelled a voice from the top of the stairs.

"You seem a bit _eager!_ And stop listening, you crazed _psychopath!_"

"Well if you're not going to eat it, I will! I won't allow good food to go to waste!"

"PACK THE FUCK UP HAO! I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO!"

"Oh, and what might that be, ay… _snow bunny_?"

Horo felt his throat vibrating, which could only mean he was growling. He knew Hao was trying to sound like Ren, and he was doing it on purpose… and that it was working. Horo had never felt so mad at him, trying to be someone he loves, he really was a twisted freak of nature.

The Ainu sighed as he inhaled the heavenly smell of rice.

"_Damn_ you stomach, I _will_ die… just not today!"

With that, Horo picked up the chopsticks, and began to feast upon the rice, devouring every grain within seconds.

Horo's gaze drifted towards the tea.

"…Hao… I ate the _rice_… but no way in _hell_ am I drinking the tea… I can live off my saliva a few more days…"

"…Whatever…" muttered Hao, and re-entered the dungeon, walking down the steps and stood before the Ainu.

The Asakura sat in front of him, crossing his legs, and picking up the tea. He blew on it slightly; then sipped it.

"_Hey,_ what the hell ya doin!" asked Horo, sounding offended.

"What? Its good tea."

"It's _my_ tea."

"Yes, well _someone_ wouldn't drink the fucker so I am."

"Did I _say_ I wasn't gonna drink it!"

"Yes." 

"And you _believed_ me! I can't live off my _saliva!_ It's _disgusting!_"

Horo removed the tea from Hao's hands and began to take massive swigs of it, drinking it quickly, as if he were in some sort of competition. 

"…Aren't you going to leave me some…?"

"_Ch_, yeah, right." Horo mumbled, stopping his tea drinking, just to give Hao that remark.

The blue-haired shaman sighed happily as he placed the cup on the stoned floor of the dungeon, his once empty stomach full.

"Feel better now…?" asked Hao, his voice soft and caring.

The Asakura lifted his hand to the Ainu's cheek and cupped it. He then made it so that Horo's head was level with his and stared into his crystal blue eyes.

"…Hao, will you kindly remove your hand from my face before I break your fingers." Said Horo calmly, locking his eyes on Hao's.

The other chuckled slightly, "You can't resist it…" he whispered, bringing his face closer to Horo's, "Its destiny..."

Hao's eyes closed as he pressed his lips to Horo's, instantly aware of the fact he wasn't moving away, but nor was he responding.

Hao tried to deepen the kiss, make it more affectionate, more meaningful, but still the Ainu didn't respond.

It was then that Hao opened his eyes and looked upon the face of the Ainu, and suddenly realized why he hadn't made some effort to decline.

"_Hm_…" he smiled, and laid Horo's body down on the floor, covering it with the quilt he'd placed next to him before he'd sat down. "…Guess I put too much sleeping power in the tea."

Hao yawned slightly and got to his feet, and began to carry out the other part of his plan.

_Ren ran down the long corridors; searching for a certain Asakura and Ainu._

_He was coming for Hao… coming to hurt him. Ren was so sick of the treachery and pain he'd caused everyone, that he was yet again blinded by his rage._

_--_

_The door to the dungeon swung open, and there stood Tao Ren, gripping his blooded Kwan-dao. His breathing wasn't stable, and blood was dripping onto the floor… only it wasn't dripping off his Kwan-dao._

_--_

_Anna looked down at Yoh's body, her eyes following the open wound that had been made across his flesh._

_The young Itako collapsed into tears, crying out the name of the deceased._

"_Why Yoh! Why!"_

The boy moaned, sitting up and holding his head.

"Wow… why the hell do I feel so… did I get _pissed_ or something…?"

Horo sighed at the hang-over-like feeling he was experiencing.

**A/N: I'm exaggerating, I know…**

"Damn it, how long was I out for…?" he asked, keeping in mind that no one was in the room apart from him. His eyes widened as he remembered Hao cupping his cheek, saying something to him, then leaning in to kiss him… then nothing… after that, everything went black. In Horo's mind, he panicked.

'_Oh my god! We didn't… did we…!'_

The Ainu looked at the quilt that had been placed over him.

'_Didn't Hao have that thing when he came in…? We couldn't have done it… I would never allow it… I probably pushed him away when he tried to kiss me… yeah, that's it, I pushed him away!'_

Horo's whole body jumped as the door flew open.

Hao walked down the stairs and stood once again before the Ainu. "Have a nice sleep?" he smiled.

"…Hao… you're as _demented_ as you'll ever be right…?"

"…I suppose… why?"

"Well… you tried to _kiss_ me, right…?"

Hao nodded, as if he was proud of it.

"…Well… did we… did we _do_ anything, after that, because I seriously don't remember anything…?"

"What you mean is _'did I screw you?'_"

Horo frowned.

"And yes, I did screw you. You whispered the most _erotic_ things to me. I really enjoyed _pleasuring_ you"

"…Hao, don't fuck with my head. I'm not thick; I pushed you away when you tried to kiss me."

"Actually you fell asleep, and I _did_ kiss you… but that was it…"

Hao's heart sank as he saw Horo quiver in disgust.

"Is that all you wanted to know?" Hao asked.

"Yeah…"

Hao began to exit the dungeon, when something that was in there before was now gone.

"Hao!" yelled Horo, the tone in his voice worried and fearful.

"Hm?" replied Hao, still walking away.

"What did you do with Yoh?"

Hao laughed as the Ainu finally realized the absent of Yoh's body, "Must have gone walk-about."

"What did you do with Yoh!" yelled Horo.

"It doesn't matter. He's _dead_ anyway."

"How could you do that? How could you _kill_ your own _brother!_" Horo shouted, demanding an explanation.

"Didn't I explain this once before…?" he said innocently.

Horo glared at Hao. "You're _sick._" Hao chuckled and quickly advanced on Horo, once again cupping his cheek, only for Horo to slap his hand away. "Get the hell _away_ from me, you sick fuckin _bastard._"

Hao tutted and forced his lips to press hard against Horo's.

The Ainu pushed Hao away, causing himself to be pushed back against the wall, instead of Hao being pushed further back. Hao grabbed Horo by his shirt and pulled him into a rough kiss. The blue-haired shaman used all of this strength to push Hao off of him.

Hao smirked and laughed. "You can't resist me forever Horo, how do you expect us to have a _future_ together if I'm not even allowed to _kiss_ you?"

"_Exactly._ There is no _future_ for us, because there is no _us!_"

"You sure about that?"

"_Positive._ I can't even _look_ at you, you _disgust_ me!"

"You won't think like that for very long. Like it or not, we _will_ be together. I want you Horo, and I _always_ get what I want."

"_No,_ not this time Hao. Not this time because I don't want you, I can't _stand_ you! What I _wanted_ you put in a fuckin _coma!_"

Hao started at the Ainu, stunned that those words had just escaped his mouth. "Y-You _love _him…? You love _Tao Ren!_"

Horo didn't reply.

"DO YOU LOVE TAO REN!"

Hao grabbed Horo's hair and yanked on it.

"…Yes… I really do… I _LOVE_ TAO REN!"

Hao's screwed up his face in disgust, then threw Horo back down on the floor.

"Maybe a few years of _sleep_ isn't good enough… maybe I should just go _kill_ the bastard right now…"

"_NO!_" yelled Horo, and grabbed onto Hao's leg.

"Get off! I'll show you, I'll show you both! I _always_ get what I want!" Hao spat, and kicked Horo off, exiting the dungeon and leaving the Ainu alone once more.

**Unicorn13564: …Wow… Hao's a right lunatic isn't he! XD Lol. Bless Horo! AND HAO YOU FREAK, LEAVE HIM ALONE! WHEN WILL YOU GET IT THROUGH YOUR THICK HEAD! HE'S NOT A TOY!**


	9. Alive And Well

**Unicorn13564: See, me updates twice coz I took soooo long! **

Chapter 9: Alive And Well

_Hao smirked and laughed. "You can't resist me forever Horo, how do you expect us to have a future together if I'm not even allowed to kiss you?"_

"_Exactly. There is no future for us, because there is no us!" _

"_You sure about that?" _

"_Positive. I can't even look at you, you disgust me!" _

"_You won't think like that for very long. Like it or not, we will be together. I want you Horo, and I always get what I want." _

"_No, not this time Hao. Not this time because I don't want you, I can't stand you! What I wanted you put in a fuckin coma!" _

_Hao started at the Ainu, stunned that those words had just escaped his mouth. "Y-You love him…? You love Tao Ren!" _

_Horo didn't reply. _

"_DO YOU LOVE TAO REN!" _

_Hao grabbed Horo's hair and yanked on it. _

"…_Yes… I really do… I LOVE TAO REN!" _

_Hao's screwed up his face in disgust; then threw Horo back down on the floor._

"_Maybe a few years of sleep isn't good enough… maybe I should just go kill the bastard right now…" _

"_NO!" yelled Horo, and grabbed onto Hao's leg. _

"_Get off! I'll show you, I'll show you both! I always get what I want!" Hao spat, and kicked Horo off, exiting the dungeon and leaving the Ainu alone once more._

_Ren's dream changed to a room filled with nothing but darkness; and the voice of a certain Ainu echoing all around him._

"_Ren, there is something I need to tell you… Hao is coming, and he's coming to finish the job. He's coming to kill you Ren, and if he succeeds, if he takes your life… I'd gladly take my own, just to be with you."_

_The Tao tried to speak, he tried to respond to Horo's words, but found he could not._

"_I have no idea where I am, but if I tell you my surroundings, maybe that'll help. I'm in some sort of dungeon, the walls and floor are made of stone, and the room itself is rather big, with no windows, just a door at the top of some steps. Hao said that we were far from a hospital, but whether that's true or not, I do not know… Ren, I have to tell you something… it's about Yoh… well… h-he's dead. He's dead Ren, Hao killed him! He actually killed his own brother! Hao tortured him, used him as a guinea-pig for his sick torturing devices! He suffered Ren, he suffered!" The Ainu's voice seemed a lot calmer now. "…I know you're listening… and thank you. I don't know if you return my love… but know that I will always love you."_

"Manta!"

Anna glared at the short boy that darted before her, standing as stiff as a board, saluting and saying 'yes ma'am?'.

"Where is Yoh? Is he back yet?"

Manta let his arm flop back down to his side as a worried expression crossed his face. "Actually no, he's not, and he's been gone for around the same time _Ren_ disappeared…"

"Which was a few days ago, right? –DID I SAY YOU COULD STOP SALUTING ME!"

"AHH! NO MA'AM!" he yelled, and quickly resumed to his previous position. "…But… But maybe Yoh's gone to look for Horo with Ren, there's _still_ no sign of Horo…"

Anna stepped out onto the porch with Manta following close behind.

"…Maybe…" she mumbled, her worry for them showing in her voice. "Or maybe there just slacking off and think this is _funny!_" she screamed, talking in her usual loud, cold tone. "Wait till I get my hands on those boys!"

**A/N: Thought I forgot bout them dincha! XD**

"…Wonna go look for them…?" asked Manta, knowing full well that Anna was trying to mask her concern with anger.

"…_No_, I don't want to go _look_ for them, they can find their _own_ way home! They've only been gone for a few _days_… it's not like its _weeks_ or anything…"

With that, Anna turned to go back inside, only to be stopped by the sound of Manta's voice.

"…Ok… wonna go for a _walk_…?"

Anna stopped for a moment, considering the thought; then sighed. "I _suppose_ I could go for a walk… I need some fresh air anyway."

The two walked down the street, Manta looking left and right, Anna just walking casually.

"Agh!" Manta was startled as a news paper blew in his face, blinding his vision. "…I really hate it when this happens…" he mumbled, and pulled it off of him, instantly gasping as he saw what was on the front page. "Anna!" he yelled, running up to the young Itako.

"What now Manta?" she hissed, glaring down at him.

"Look!" he yelled, shoving the paper in front of her face.

Anna's eyes scanned the paper, reading the headline and the small article.

'_**Young Boy Mysteriously Falls Into A Coma!'**_

**_On Saturday 11th June, a young teen was rushed in to Fubari hospital- his injuries critical after being hit by a car. The teen was then taken to theatre were they operated, only to later on find him in a coma! The cause of this is still unknown, as is the identity of the young teen. If you have any information on who he is, please come down to the hospital immediately._**

Anna's eyes drifted to a small picture in the corner of the paper. "What the…" Anna instantly realized she was looking at Ren. "Manta, come on!" she ordered, and quickly walked in the direction of the hospital.

Anna and Manta entered the cubical, looking wide-eyed at the sleeping Tao. They'd given all the information they knew about him to the doctors, and they were checking his medical file to try and discover the reason as to why he'd suddenly gone into a coma.

Anna sat down on the chair beside his bed, whilst Manta pulled up a stool. They both sat in an awkward silence for a while, wondering what to say, or whether to say anything at all.

"…Encase your wondering Ren…" began Anna, being the first to break the silence, "…there is _still_ no news on Horo, and now… now _Yoh_ is missing… Manta and I thought that he was with you, but now we see that he couldn't have been, otherwise he would have helped you. It's odd; because he disappeared right after you went to look for Horo… we haven seen or heard from him since…"

Manta sighed. "Everything's just falling out of place…"

"I'm sorry for treating you so badly recently…" Manta looked up at Anna. She had a sincere look in her eyes that told him she was truly sorry. It sort of shocked him that Anna could look so apologetic. "Its just…" she continued, "…Yoh had been taking way to long on his morning laps, and sometimes he would go out and wouldn't get back till late, then, before you left, he went to look for Horo and was gone for ages, and when he did get back, he went off again and this time he's been gone for days… I guess I was getting frustrated, and I shouldn't have taken it out on you… please Ren… don't go…"

Manta's eyes widened as he saw something move out of the corner of his eye. He watched and waited again for it to move, and sure enough, it did.

"A-Anna! Look! Ren's finger, it's twitching!" Manta pointed to Ren's right hand, and laughed as it moved, dropping off the side of the bed. "He's waking up!"

Ren's eyes flickered open, the world around him a blur.

His eyes widened as he remembered Horo talking to him, Horo, Manta and Anna… _everyone_… He then remembered about Yoh and Hao. How Yoh died, how Hao was coming to kill him… he remembered it all, every single thing!

Ren turned his head to see Anna smiling, and Manta jumping up and down. He slowly rose, but stopped as pain shot through his abdomen, yet continued to rise despite the pain, and with effort, climbed out of bed.

"Hey, were are you going! You can't leave the _hospital!_" yelled Manta frantically.

"I can and I will." Ren replied firmly.

"But why?"

"You need to rest!" scolded Anna, agreeing with Manta that Ren should stay.

"No, I can't." He paused a moment and looked at Anna. "Anna… there's something you need to know… you too Manta… it's about Yoh."

The hooded figure entered the hospital. A huge smirk on his face as he clutched the unnoticeable knife in his pocket.

"…Yoh… Yoh is dead…"

He made his way down the long corridor, eager to get to a particular cubical.

Anna put her hand over her mouth, trying her hardest not to let the tears fall.

"What? Yoh… Y-Yoh's dead? But how? Why?" uttered Manta, speaking on Anna's behalf.

Ren's gaze shifted to the floor. "Hao tortured him, used him as a guinea-pig to test some torturing devices… I'm… sorry…"

"How do you know?" cried Anna, "How do you know this?"

"…Horo told me…"

Anna and Manta looked a bit surprised at his last statement. "Horo told you?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yes, in a dream. He tells me a lot of things… like Hao, right now, is heading for this hospital, and he's coming to finish me off. It was no accident I was in a coma; that was Hao's doing."

"Ok, so then how does Horo know all of this?" questioned Manta.

"Because Hao is holding him captive. For some reason Hao is obsessed with Horo." Ren grabbed his clothes and disappeared behind a curtain, then exited, having his usual red mid-drift top and black puffy pants back on. He grabbed his Kwan-dao that had been laid with his clothes.

"_Ren!_" Yelled Anna's voice, "Were are you going?"

"I'm off to get Horo."

"So you know were he is?" asked Manta.

Ren smirked. "_Yes,_ I know _exactly_ were he is."

Hao took long strides as he approached the cubical. His hand grabbed the wrack and slid it aside. His smirk faded at the emptiness of the room, but was replaced very quickly. "_So_, you want to play the _hero_, ay Ren?" Hao chuckled. "Well guess what, you're in for the shock of your life."

**Unicorn13564: So, what ya think? Like I said before… Hao is such a weirdo!**


	10. Betrayal And Deceit

Chapter 10: Betrayal And Deceit

Ren stormed down the street, walking at a fast pace. He smirked as he reached his destination, standing outside the old building he'd passed many times before.

"…The abandoned museum…?" asked Manta, panting as he and Anna came up beside him.

"Yes." Stated Ren, "Horo is in there…"

"But Ren," said Anna, stopping the Tao from entering by grabbing his arm, "how can you be sure he _is_ in there…? And even if he is, it's a bit risky without backup, and you've only just woke up from a _coma!_"

"True- but there's no time to loose."

Ren shook free from Anna's grip and pushed hard against the entrance doors.

"…Locked…?" asked Manta.

"_Shit!_" hissed Ren, answering Manta's question and kicking the door. "…Hey, where'd Anna go?""

Manta and Ren shot up slightly as they heard something rattling inside, and the turn of a key. The doors opened, revealing Anna with a satisfied smirk on her face.

"How the…?" muttered Manta.

"Never underestimate the power of a woman, we females _always_ find a way."

**A/N: (nods) So true…**

Ren smirked and stepped inside, ordering Manta to go with Anna one way, whilst he went the other.

Ren walked around at a quick pace, eager to find a certain destination. He stopped for a few seconds and winced, putting pressure on his abdomen with his hand. He slowly lifted the shirt up to reveal blooded bandages.

"_Great_," he muttered out loud, his voice showing he was in pain, "the wound… its come open…"

"Want me to open it even more?" sniggered a voice from the shadows.

Ren spun round, spotting the silhouette instantly.

"W-Who are you? You're not Hao!"

As the figure parted from the shadows, Ren gripped his Kwan-dao. "_You!_" he yelled angrily, "Tell me were Horo is, or I mean it, I will kill you!"

When the person in front of him didn't reply, Ren raised his Kwan-dao, and prepared to strike.

-- 

"…Ren…" mumbled the Ainu, pressing his thumb against the blade in his hand, causing a drop of blood to slide down it, "…Don't worry Ren… I'm coming… I'll be with you shortly…" Horo held the worn blade to his neck and scrunched his eyes shut, afraid of the quick agonizing pain that was yet to come. "It'll only hurt for a split second… I hope…"

Before the ice shaman got the chance to take his life, the door to the dungeon burst open, and a certain member of the Tao family stood at the top of the stairs.

"R-Ren… you're… alive…!"

Tears of happiness formed in his eyes, the mere sight of him made his spirits rise and his heart beat twice as fast.

Horo stopped smiling when he noticed the blooded Kwan-dao Ren was clutching; then the bloodstained shirt he was wearing. Even from that distance away, Horo saw that Ren's eyes were dilated.

"Ren…? Ren what's wrong! What happened!"

It was then Horo saw the small but just noticeable point sticking out of Ren's stomach, surrounded by the blood. It slowly withdrew, causing the Tao to utter a small sound; then his body fell down the stairs, falling beside Horo.

The Ainu looked up to see a face twisted with madness, a face that belonged to an Asakura. "Yoh!"

Yoh grinned, his grin no eviler than that of his brothers. "I'd better go… I have other victims waiting. Hao will be with you both shortly." He said, still grinning.

"I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD!" cried Horo, the same feeling of when Hao betrayed him returning.

"Yeah… about that…"

Yoh left silently without giving Horo an explanation to his madness, adding one more reason to the 'why you should take your life' list, Horo had set out in his head. The Ainu felt betrayed and hurt, like everything around him was falling to pieces right before his eyes, but he couldn't care about that right now, there was only one thing he cared about. "Ren… Ren can you hear me…? It's going to be ok. You're going to live…"

Ren slowly reached up for Horo's hand, grabbing it and keeping hold, as if if he let go he would somehow loose him. "I came for you Horo… I came just like you told me too…"

"Ren, I- I didn't think you could hear me…"

"Yes you did. You believed in me. You believed that I'd pull through the coma and I did… but only because I had something that was worth pulling through for…" Ren winced at the sudden pain that shot through his body. His golden eyes telling Horo he was in great amounts of pain.

"Sshh, try not to speak."

"I can't help it, there's so much that needs to be said…"

"Oh, like what?"

"Like I love you."

Horo let go of Ren's hand; accidentally letting it hit the floor, but quickly recovered from the shock and picked it up again.

"…You mean that…?"

"Yes, I love you, I've always loved you; it was only when I started having those dreams that I'd actually started to realize that me feelings for you were real… I'm just sorry it took me so long to realize it- agh!" Ren winced again.

"No, don't be sorry." said Horo softly, and stroked Ren's cheek with his free hand. "It's ok Ren… its ok…" He sighed in bliss at just being able to touch Ren; then a thought of something he'd forgotten returned to him.

"Hey… Ren, I think I can get us both out of here… but I need you to pass me the key that's beside you."

Ren turned his head and was sort of surprised to find the key right next to his head. "…Ok…" Ren slowly reached for the key, and passed it to Horo.

"Let's just pray this works…"

Both Ren and Horo jumped as Hao entered the dungeon. He walked casually down the steps, a huge smirk spread across his face as he looked upon the injured body of the Tao.

"What a pity." He grinned. Hao walked past Horo, at the same time, dragging Ren by his arm away from him.

Horo grabbed onto Ren to stop Hao from taking him, only to be kicked off. 

"Horo!" cried Ren, seeing Horo recoil quickly.

"Its ok, I'm… fine…" said Horo through gritted teeth.

"Don't worry Ren, I wont hurt him. You however, I'm going to kill." 

"Don't you fuckin touch him!" Horo gained a quick burst of energy, which he used to stand and try and swing his first at Hao, only to fail to strike him and be restricted by the chains that restrained him.

The Ainu could only watch as Hao strapped Ren to one of his creations, this one in particular, looking like a cross. The cross held Ren up right, and limited him so that only his head could move.

"Don't worry Horo, after I've killed Ren here, you won't love him anymore."

"No! I'm not going to let you kill him!"

"It doesn't matter…" utters Ren; "Even if you kill a thousand people… he'll never love you…"

"Is that so?" Hao punched Ren deliberately in the abdomen, were both the injury from the car had been, and the nasty deep wound he received from Yoh; causing him to cry out in pain.

"Stop it!" cried Horo.

"Why should I stop? I'm going to kill him anyway."

"No your not, I'll never let you! …If you kill him I'll kill myself!"

"No you wont, you don't have the balls too. Besides, I would only capture your spirit. I love you Horo, and I will do anything to make you love me back… even if it means killing Ren."

"Yoh… I saw Yoh… you told me you killed him, but why?"

"Oh, him. Don't worry, he won't hurt you, he knows very well that he can hurt anyone but you."

"B-But… so… so he betrayed us…?"

"Well, not really… you see, Yoh is crazy. He snapped long before I came up with this plan. He said it was something to do about him being everyone's slave and that they thought he could do no wrong or something… after that, he discovered my plan and he offered to help… amazing isn't it? How being pushed around can cause a person to snap, and offer to kill the ones they once fought to protect."

"Y-You're lying! Yoh would never do that!"

"See, this is the reason he snapped in the first place. As we speak, he's lurking in the shadows of the museum, watching you're two other friends."

"Two other friends…?"

"Anna and Manta… they came here with me…"

Hao turned to Ren, "When you're ready to die… drink this..." 

Hao removed a bottle from a bag. The bottle was light purple with yellow triangles painted on it, he then slipped it into Ren's pocket and patted it.

"That's fuckin stupid… even if I wanted to drink it I can't because I can't reach it…"

"Oh well, just means that I'll get to give you a slow and painful death like I wanted too."

With that, Hao left, sure to return again.

Horo quickly fitted the key into the lock and fiddled it about, but to his horror, his only ray of hope snapped- it was too old.

"No!" yelled Horo, panicking, "No! No! No! No! NO!" The Ainu threw the key down on the floor in frustration, listening as it made a sharp pinging sound as it hit the floor.

"…Its o-"

"NO! IT'S _NOT_ OK! YOU KNOW _WHY!_ BECAUSE HAO IS GOING TO _KILL_ YOU! HE'S GOING TO TAKE AWAY THE ONE THING I _EVER_ CARED ABOUT! HE'S GOING TO _KILL_ YOU REN, AND THEN HE'S GOING TO- TO-"

"…I know… I love you too."

Horo looked up at Ren, a warm smile placed on his face. "Ren, I am _so_ sorry, it's all my fault, if I-"

"If you _what_? If you sacrificed your _happiness_? If you allowed yourself to be with someone you _didn't_ want to be with? If you lived in _misery_ for the rest of your life! No, don't ever say 'if you' because there was _nothing_ you could have done about it. You weren't to know Hao was _obsessed_ with you, and that Yoh was a crazy _psycho!"_

Horo changed his gaze to the floor, "…Yeah… but still… I cant help but wonder… if I'd just said _yes_ and _pretended_ to love him back… would it have gotten this far? Would you have been put in a coma, or beaten badly? …Would Anna and Manta be in danger and not know it…?"

"And the answer to that is _'no'_. None of this would have happened if you had just said yes."

"What the hell are you doing here?" said Ren coldly, glaring at Hao. 

"Well forgive me for walking in my _own_ dungeon, how rude of me." Said Hao sarcastically.

"…Bastard…" mumbled Ren.

"Guess what Ren…"

"_What?_" answered Ren, refusing to look at him.

"I have time to spare."

Hao grinned evilly, and Horo's eyes widened with fear and regret as he removed a whip from his sleeve, along with another knife.

"No, wait!" yelled Horo as he approached Ren. "Please, don't!" 

As Ren looked at Hao, he quickly sensed he was in danger as he too was fearful of the whip and knife.

Hao ripped off Ren's top half of his worn outfit, revealing his torso. 

"Hmm, what shall I do now…?" asked Hao cruelly.

Tears formed in Ren's eyes as he cried out, feeling the leather slice through his skin as if it where the knife itself, and as he cried, Horo cried with him. It killed the Ainu from the inside out, watching as his love undergoes this torture, just for loving him. This was punishment, for loving him. For caring for him. For feeling anything more than friendship… this was his punishment.

"Let's press on." Hao grinned, and dropped the whip, pressing the knife against Ren's torso.

As the blood spilt onto the floor, Ren felt letters being carved into his body.

"Stop! Please!" begged Horo desperately, wondering how long Ren could take this kind of abuse.

"Just a sec." said Hao, shouting over the cries of the Tao.

"HAO! IF YOU STOP _RIGHT_ NOW I SWEAR I WILL… I SWEAR I WILL BE YOUR KOI!"

Tears began to yet again flow down Horo's cheeks as he heard the knife hit the floor.

"…You _swear_…? Because I can always come back and finish what I-" 

"No! …I swear… as long as you leave Ren alone… I… swear…" 

Hao grinned in satisfaction. "Ok, I'll leave Ren alone."

Hao was about to un-latch the Tao when voices coming from outside the dungeon caught his attention. Hao quickly left, telling Horo he will be back in a moment.

Horo tries to stop the tears as he looked upon the words that were inscribed into Ren's flesh, which was most likely to scar. 

"…What's it say…?" asked Ren, feeling the blood gush out as he breathed. 

"…It… It says… Ren, I'm _so_ sorry!" he cried.

This worried Ren. "What the hell did he do!"

"…It says… 'Horo belongs to Hao'…"

"_BASTARD!_" yelled Ren as loud as he could, yet using all of his energy just to do so. "… _Why_… Why did you say you would be his _koi!"_

"Because he was going to-"

"I don't _care!_ I'd rather go through this every fucking day of my _life_ than be the reason you are to live with that sick bastard! …This _isn't_ what you want Horo... don't end your happiness because of me… I don't want you to be with someone you don't love… Horo please, don't do this."

"…You say you would rather go through this torture every day of your life if it meant me being happy… well I would rather be Hao's little… _thing_, than let you die. Please, understand that I _have_ to do this…

"No, I won't allow it! If Hao lets me go, I'll only keep coming back! …I would _die_ for you Horokeu, and if I have to _fight_ to get you, then so be it."

"Ren _please_, don't try anything, he'll _kill _you!" 

"So what, I'd rather fight him to the finish than watch as you throw your life away… I love you, and I will do _everything_ in my power to protect you."


	11. Till Death Do We Part

**Unicorn13564: Hiiiiii… you people will hate me forever and for always for this… T-T May I rest in peace**

Chapter 11: Till Death Do We Part

Anna walked fast, looking around to see if there were any doors that Horo could be behind.

"Anna, don't walk so fa-"

The young Itako turned her head and glared at the short boy.

"…Haha," he laughed nervously, "Did I just tell you to do something! Silly me! Haha, you walk as fast as you want! _Really,_ I don't mind running, honest! Haha!"

Anna just continued to glare at him, yet Manta noticed her eyes soften, and a tear roll down her cheek.

"Anna…? Anna, what's wrong?" asked Manta, trying to figure out why she was crying.

"Don't worry, it's just her hormones."

Manta spun round at the recognition of the voice, and sure enough, Yoh was standing there. "Y-Yoh!"

Yoh grinned menacingly at the two.

"B-But Ren told us you were dead…" stuttered Manta, wondering why Yoh was grinning like that.

"Yeah, well the bastard shouldn't believe everything Horo tells him. If the Ainu looked closer he would have noticed me breathing slightly. He really is stupid."

"…I…I don't understand…" said Anna, trying hard not to break down.

"I don't expect you too, you always were a blond." Yoh slowly put his hand behind his back, and to both Anna and Manta's horror, pulled out Ren's Kwan-dao.

**A/N: Don't ask how he did that… -.-;**

"Y-Yoh… what are you doing…?" asked Manta, backing away slowly.

"Only what I'm told… sort of… actually, Hao didn't say I _have _to kill you…"

Manta stopped, wondering if a part of the kind, considerate, care-free Yoh was still in there somewhere.

"…But I'll just kill you anyway…" shrugged the Asakura, and walked towards Manta.

"_Stop!_" ordered Anna, stepping in front of the short- and now totally petrified- boy.

"Oh," laughed Yoh, "and what the hell are you going to do?"

Anna outstretched her arms, showing Yoh that she wasn't going to let him hurt Manta.

**A/N: I know this kinda looks it but its not a Anna x Manta, just so ya know. She's just protecting him… amazing isn't it O.O**

Tears formed in her eyes as she stared into Yoh's, the warm, kind eyes no longer there, and replaced with dangerous, angry ones.

"Oh Yoh," said a voice from behind, "be a good psycho and go un-latch Ren for me."

Yoh turned to see Hao stood there, a more than happy smile on his face.

"What! Why!"

"Oh, and let these two go home, I don't need them here."

"What? You're going to let them all live!"

"Yes, now go!" yelled Hao, growing impatient.

Yoh glared at Hao, before retreating and walking away, mumbling something.

"…Un-latch Ren…?" asked Manta wearily.

"Yes, the little pain in the ass was latched to a cross."

Manta paled.

"Anna, encase your wondering…" said Hao, noticing the teary-eyed Itako, "Yoh is on the darker side of life now."

Anna blinked; looking at Hao, then, suddenly the sound of someone being slapped could be heard.

Hao laughed at the mark on his cheek, and the form Anna was stood in. Her blond hair covering her face as she kept the position she was now in after slapping Hao.

Horo and Ren both looked up to the door as Yoh entered, muttering something about fairness and stupidity.

"What did you do to Anna and Manta!" demanded Ren.

"I didn't do anything," said Yoh glumly, "I didn't get the fuckin chance!"

Yoh un-latched Ren's legs first, then un-latched his arms.

"Ren, _don't_…" warned Horo.

"Don't what?" asked Yoh.

"Don't do _this!_" Ren scrunched his hand into a tight fist and punched Yoh in the face, making him stumble backwards and fall over. The Tao quickly patted down Yoh's pockets and found a key. He then turned to Horo and tried the key on the chains, and thankfully, it was the right one.

Despite his physical condition, Horo helped Ren up the stairs, the Tao's body dripping with blood as he walked.

"…H…Hold on…" panted Ren, leaning against a wall for support.

"Ren, are you ok?"

"Yes, I just… keep getting bursts of energy… then… it just drains… out of me…"

"Its ok, I'm not in top condition either, don't worry about it. Were going to get you to a hospital soon."

"You… need checking over yourself…"

The two helped one-another around the abandoned museum, trying to find the way Ren had come in.

As they turned a corner, they both stopped as they noticed three figures.

Ren glared at Hao, who turned to face them. "Let's end this!" he yelled, gaining a burst of energy like before. The angered shaman whipped out his Kwan-dao.

"…Didn't Yoh have that…?" asked Hao casually.

"He _did_ have it." hissed Ren. "You've hurt me for the last time! I'm ready to fight you to the finish!"

Yoh steadily got up, dazed for a moment at the sudden impact of Ren's fist; and then climbed the stairs.

"Fight me to the _finish_ you say…"

"Indeed! Or are you too stupid to understand that I hate you!"

"…Too stupid…" mocked Hao.

"Want me to finish him off…?"

Anna gave Yoh an icy glare as he approached the little group that had formed. "Why?" she asked, her words as cold as her expression.

Yoh sighed; then looked at Anna, his expression changed from content to rage and hatefulness. "Because of you!" he yelled, "You, and your bossy, _bitchiness!_ No wonder you never had a _boyfriend!_ You only got me because I was so _pathetic_ and _needy_, I said _yes_ to you!"

Tears form once more in the Itako's eyes; yet she refused to let them fall, and held her icy stare.

Anna gasped as Yoh uttered a small sound and his pupils became small dots. "…You… bastard…" he uttered, before falling to his knee's, then to the floor.

"…You… You killed him…" whispered Manta, shocked at all the savageness.

"Hmm, I don't need him anymore. My use for him is gone; he is worthless to me now." said Hao, and removed the knife from Yoh's back.

The young blond rushed to Yoh's side and cradled him in her arms. "_Why!_ _Why_ Yoh, _why!_" she screamed, letting the tears drop off her face and onto his. No matter how much she told herself he was crazy, she still loved him… she still _wanted_ him. "Please…" she cried, hugging his body, "…come back…"

"Hm, and I thought _Yoh_ was crazy…" muttered Hao.

Ren and Horo looked on in horror, for they had just witnessed their former friend die, they had just witnessed the killing of Yoh Asakura.

Hao looked at the blooded knife, then at Ren. "So… you want a fight to the _finish_ huh… ok, winner take _all!_" he said, and grinned at Horo.

"Whatever!" agreed Ren, and moved away from Horo, getting into fighting position.

"No, Ren you can't! You don't have the energy!" shouted Horo.

"I don't care, where there's a will, there's a way…"

Hao chuckled, knowing that he had an advantage. He then quickly advanced on Ren, trying to out speed him, trying to cut him before he did with his Kwan-dao.

Ren deflected the knife each time it tried to cut him, yet still, he felt like he was loosing. The energy from his body was draining fast; every move he made was as if he'd done it ten times. It also hurt him to move so fast, for his stomach was no where near healed, and he could tell he was beginning to bleed again, for he could feel the blood running down his body.

The Tao stepped back as the knife scratched his arm, leaving a long line of blood to slowly appear and begin to bleed. Ren glared at Hao, and let the battle continue.

Hao was fast, and in much better physical condition, yet somehow, Ren eventually managed to get the knife away from him by flinging it across the floor with his Kwan-dao, leaving Hao wide open and defenceless.

Anna let Yoh's body rest on the floor as she stood up, her vision blinded by her tears.

"…You…" she said, her word full of hate, "…You killed Yoh… YOU KILLED HIM!"

The now crazed Itako lunged at Hao, making her hand into a fist, and struck him hard across the face, knocking him across the corridor. "..You killed him…" she cried.

Hao jumped to his feet, quickly scooping up the knife that lied next to him. "And now I'm going to kill you!"

The Asakura ran towards Anna, but to his surprise, as he pushed the knife forward to stab her, she quickly yanked it out of his hand, and turned the tables as Hao felt the cold steel slide into him.

"…H….How…?" asked Hao, feeling the warm blood escape his body.

"Simple… you kill Yoh… I kill you…"

All four allies watched as Hao staggered down the corridor, trying desperately to escape the death that was sure to come.

Horo slowly changed into his old clothes and folded his hospital ones, placing them neatly on the bed.

"It feels good to be getting out of here…" smiled Horo.

"Agreed." Said Ren.

"I'd still feel better if you stayed in here for a few more days Ren." Muttered Horo.

"Look, the doctors said they can't keep me here, so I'm going. Besides, I'll be fine."

Horo sighed. "Yeah, that's what you say now… but what happened when your stitches come undone, or you fall and they rip open or-"

"Horo!" scolded Ren, "What have I told you?"

Horo sighed in defeat. "…It'll be fine…"

"…And…?"

"You are the great _Tao Ren_, no-one can defeat you… although I _still_ don't see how you were giving it all you've got and had a Kwan-dao, yet couldn't take down Hao… and Anna comes along with her bare hands and _smacks_ the bastard, then kills him!"

Ren glared at Horo, who laughed nervously.

The two exited the hospital after discharging themselves, and walked down the street, on there way back to the Asakura residence.

After about five minutes of walking, the whining began.

"_Re-en_…"

"What?" sighed the Tao, after trying to ignore the Ainu.

"…You don't have any water on you or something do you? I'm dying of thirst here!"

"What am I? Your friggin slave!"

"…Depends… would you _like_ to be my slave…?"

"No… and just so you know, that wasn't _remotely_ sexy…" Horo hung his head in disappointment. "…But…" Ren said, patting his pockets, "…I do have this, whatever it is."

Ren removed the small bottle from his pocket and tossed it to Horo, who opened it and quickly drank it, not even bothering to look what it was.

Within seconds, Horo was on the floor, coughing up sick and blood.

"Horo! What's wrong! What's-"

Ren's eyes immediately darted to the purple bottle that was now on the floor… the purple bottle with yellow triangles.

"_When you're ready to die… drink this..." Hao slipped the bottle into Ren's pocket and patted it._

_--_

The lone figure sat in the dimmed room, it's only source of light was a flickering candle. It grinned; then laughed, looking down at the bandages that were wrapped around its stomach. "It's not over yet Usui… remember; I _always_ get what I want…"

END TILL SEQUEL

**Unicorn13564: TA-DAAAAAA! …This is the part were you kill me… (cowers) BE GENTLE! T-T**

**Life Is Like A Jigsaw Puzzle 2**

**The story picks up were it left off, and this time there are more twists, more adventures, and more yaoi! After Horo is admitted to the hospital, he mysteriously disappears. But who is behind his disappearance? Can Ren solve the puzzle once more? Or is it all over?**


End file.
